FCS All Conference Teams: Big Sky, Pioneer, and Great West

In the final installment of the FCS All-Conference teams (Division 2 and 3 coming soon), we’ll take a look at some more western schools in teh Big Sky and Great West, along with a spread out conference in the Pioneer League.

The Big Sky boasts tons of talent and the 2011 FCS National Champion Eastern Washington, while the Pioneer and Great West have limited NFL talent but a handful of very good college football players. Help credit to Matthew Elder at BuffaloBillsDraft.com (@matthewcelder) and Mark Dulgarian, as well as myself (@OptimumScouting).

Big Sky Conference

First Team
Pos.  Player  Team  Ht.  Wt.  Notes
QB – DeNarius McGhee – Montana State – 5100 – 203 – Only threw 6 INTs as a freshman and 3163 yards, athletic and smooth
RB – Orenzo Davis – Montana State – 5090 – 185 – Was set to be suspended for this season, had 1126 yards, 10 TDs in 2010
RB – Cory McCaffrey – Portland State – 5090 – 180 – Played slot receiver at times, quick, outside runner
WR – Brandon Kaufman – Eastern Washington – 6050 – 205 – Maybe the best receiver in the FCS, had 76 catches and 15 TDs
WR – Chase Deadder – Sacramento State – 6050 – 225 – Big play receiver, 788 yards and 6 TDs on just 37 catches in 2010
WR – Jace Davis – Northern Colorado – 6010 – 190 – Inside out cutting  receiver with good hands, big play ability
TE – Greg Hardy – Montana – 6050 – 245 – Can do a little bit of everything at the position, well built
OT – Gabriel Jackson – Eastern Washington – 6040 – 275 – Long time starter, can slide well and play multiple positions
OT – Caleb Turner – Weber State – 6060 – 295 – Well built tackle with aggressive run blocking ability
OG – JC Oram – Weber State – 6040 – 300 – Quick feet, sets up and drives with good technique
OG – Alex Mott – Northern Arizona – 6050 – 290 – Could play tackle or guard, lead blocker for a productive run offense
OC – Chris Powers – Eastern Washington – 6020 – 285 – Has 27 career starts, team leader and skilled in-line blocker
DE – Zach Nash – Sacramento State – 6030 – 265 – Very aggressive in pursuit, finishes tackles, 13 sacks in 2010
DE – Carl Sommer – Portland State – 6040 – 260 – Great size, quick off the snap, can make tackles in space
DT – Renard Williams – Eastern Washington – 6020 – 300 – Quick off the snap, NFL good certainly, 15.5 sacks since 2009
DT – Bryan Waldhauser – Montana – 6040 – 250 – Went from walk-on to now 3rd year starter, gets off blocks well
LB – AJ Storms – Idaho State – 6000 – 215 – Powerful inside, 146 tackles in 2010, finishes tackles well
LB – Zach Johnson – Eastern Washington – 6010 – 225 – Will have to fill JC Sherrit’s shoes, 3rd year starter, 134 tackles in ’10
LB – Caleb  McSurdy – Montana – 6010 – 242 – Plays inside, tracks the ball well, needs to improve in coverage
CB – Trumaine Johnson – Montana – 6030 – 199 – Played a bit of both sides of the ball, lanky, tracks ball well
CB – David James – Weber State – 5110 – 185 – Transfer from Wyoming, 10 total passes defended in 2010
S – Matt Johnson – Eastern Washington – 6020 – 220 – Extremely Productive, 38 career starts, 15 interceptions, 289 tackles
S – DeShawn Shead – Portland State – 6020 – 210 – May be moving to safety, a ball hawk in tackling and pass breakups
K – Jason Cunningham – Montana State – 6010 – 175 – Had 102 total points last year, 83.3 % of field goals made in ’10
P – David Harrington – Idaho State – 6030 – 185 – Over 3000 yards in punts, averaged 44.3 yards per punt in ’10

Second Team
QB – Bo Levi Mitchell – Eastern Washington – 6020 – 210 – Transfer from SMU, live arm, needs to keep INTs down (15 in 2010)
RB – Zach Bauman – Northern Arizona – 5100 – 200 – Only a sophomore now, had over 1000 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010
RB – Bryan Hillard – Sacramento State – 5011 – 220 – Well built, delivers a good blow, 12 TDs last year
WR – Austin Shanks – Northern Arizona – 5080 – 175 – Productive slot receiver, quick in routes, almost 6 catches per game in ’10
WR – Nicholas Edwards – Eastern Washington – 6030 – 200 – Big game receiver, had 7 TDs last year, and including 5 in playoffs
WR – Elvis Akpla – Montana State – 6010 – 187 – Under 4 catches a game, but 682 yards and role will be enhanced
TE – Brian Jankowski – Weber State – 6040 – 255 – Started every game last year, should be more involved this year
OT – John Taylor – Sacramento State – 6030 – 260 – Former center, good understanding of rushers, 34 starts in a row
OT – Dustin Waldron – Portland State – 6060 – 280 – Left tackle since freshman year, good understanding, good feet
OG – Steven Forgette – Eastern Washington – 6040 – 280 – Still raw in pass blocking, he’s performed well on an elite O-Line
OG – Alex Terrien – Montana State – 6040 – 285 – Can play center or guard, sets up in pass blocking well
OC – Adam Kleffner – Portland State – 6030 – 310 – Team leader, voted most inspirational player in 2010
DE – Nick Hernon – Northern Colorado – 6010 – 220 – Undersized, but dips and drives well, good overall pursuit
DE – VJ Holmes – Northern Colorado – 6030 – 245 – Needs to bulk up for his style of play, still quite productive
DT – Issac Bond – Northern Arizona – 6040 – 260 – Bit of a tackle, end in betweener, 6 tackles for a loss in 2010
DT – Zach Minter – Montana State – 6010 – 265 – Had 4.5 sacks as a defensive tackle, stays low and drives well
LB – Nick Webb – Weber State – 6040 – 245 – Drives through tackles well, gets through traffic, 99 tackles in 2010
LB – Jordan Tripp – Montana – 6020 – 217 – Moves laterally well, had 9 tackles for loss in 2010
LB – Scott McKeever – Northern Arizona – 6010 – 225 – Aggressive off the edge as a linebacker, had 5.5 sacks in 2010
CB – Colby Riggins – Northern Colorado – 5110 – 170 – Fights with receivers well for his size, quick in his cuts
CB – Darius Jones – Montana State – 5100 – 167 – Couldn’t get an interception in 2010, but 11 pass break ups
S – Manoa Latu – Portland State – 6010 – 205 – Did a little of both last year with 72 tackles and 3 interceptions
S – Jeff Minnerly – Eastern Washington – 6010 – 200 – Former quarterback, tracks the ball well, finishes tackles
K – Zach Brown – Portland State – 6010 – 180 – Just under 70% made field goals in 2010, but 18 total in 11 games
P – Drew Zamora – Northern Arizona – 6010 – 187 – Averaged above 42 yards per punt with a long of 70 

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Great West Conference

First Team
Pos.  Player  Team  Ht.  Wt.  Notes
QB – Brad Sorensen – Southern Utah – 6050 – 225 – BYU transfer; Very good athlete, strong arm, field vision a question
RB – Mark Rodgers – Cal Poly – 5080 – 185 – Led conference in rushing in ’10, avg 7 ypc, more quick than fast
RB – Austin Minefee – Southern Utah – 5011 – 195 – Patient runner with some receiving ability, can contend for rushing title
WR – Will Powell – South Dakota – 6010 – 204 – Explosive receiver should have huge ’11, excellent hands
WR – Greg Hardin – North Dakota – 5011 – 174 – Expoded onto the scene as a Freshman, has good speed and hands
WR – Dustin Nowotny – South Dakota – 6030 – 215 – Most well built WR in the conference, strong hands and strong routes
TE – Abbel Aiono – Southern Utah – 6030 – 265 – More of a blocking TE but should see enhanced roll in pass game this fall
OT – Tom Compton – South Dakota – 6060 – 311 – Earned FCS All America honors in ’10, excellent length, good strength
OT – Brock Christensen – South Dakota – 6060 – 306 – Partners with Compton to form the conference’s best tackle tandem
OG – Brent Johnson – South Dakota – 6030 – 300 – 3 year starter also Academic All Conference
OG – Trevor Shauerhammer – Southern Utah – 6050 – 300 – Coaches love his mean streak, has improved every year
OC – Gavin Farr – Southern Utah – 6030 – 285 – 2nd Team All-GWC last year, Leader on the line
DE – Gavin Cooper – Cal Poly – 6030 – 240 – Had 8 sacks in ’10, rising prospect
DE – Tyler Osbourne – Southern Utah – 6020 – 245 – Finished with 8 sacks in ’10, good athlete with pass rush skills
DT – Cody Larson – Southern Utah – 6040 – 272 – Earned 2nd team all conference as soph, stout against run
DT – Jesse Weisbrod – South Dakota – 6050 – 285 – Very strong against run, can penetrate using natural strength
OLB – Kenny Jackson – Cal Poly – 6000 – 220 – Athletic but undersized, he will be one of conference’s top performers
OLB – Shea Williams – South Dakota – 6020 – 224 – Straight line athlete, solid tackler had productive ’10
ILB – Blake Fenn – Southern Utah – 6010 – 224 – Led conference in tackles last year, undersized but instinctive
CB – Asa Jackson – Cal Poly  – 5011 – 190 – Fast, quick feet, average play strength but has NFL ability
CB – Marquis Butler – South Dakota – 6000 – 182 – Transfer from Utah St has some shut down ability
S – Dion Turner – Southern Utah – 6000 – 195 – Can play corner as well, excellent athlete who can explode in ’11
S – Shane Potter – South Dakota – 6020 – 207 – Named 2nd tm All Conference in ’10, strong box safety
K – Sean Kelley – UC Davis – 5010 – 210 – Kept Aggies in many games going 13/17 in ’10
P – Cole Zwiefelhofer – South Dakota – 6030 – 206 – Great leg, averaged over 43 net last year

Second Team
QB – Dante Warren – South Dakota – 6000 – 200 – Team’s Offensive POY last year, very good athlete
RB – Chris Ganious – South Dakota – 5080 – 180 – Helps team as runner and receiver, would like to see more physicality
RB – Jake Romanelli – Cal Poly – 6030 – 230 – Down hill runner and breaks tackles, had 8 TDs in ’10
WR – Anthony Soto – UC Davis – 5010 – 185 – Quick player who runs hard, not easy to bring down, love his attitude
WR – Chris Anderson – North Dakota – 6020 – 189 – Big body target to work opposite of Greg Hardin, ideal in redzone
WR – Jared Ursua – Southern Utah – 5011 – 195 – Favorite to take over loss of top two WRs from last year
TE – Cameron Sentence – UC Davis – 6040 – 240 – Only a soph, but this offense likes it’s tight ends
OT – Art Munoz – Cal Poly – 6020 – 275 – Took over RT in Week 3 and was dominant there
OT – Scott Winnewisser – Cal Poly  – 6050 – 275 – Leads way for confernce top rushing attack, as well part of allowing just only 1 sack a game.
OG – Robert Ayote – UC Davis – 6050 – 300 – Earned honorable mention last year, experienced road grader
OG – Zach Backuks – Southern Utah – 6050 – 325 – Teams with Farr and Shauerhammer to make one of the most dominaint interior lines in GWC
OC – Ray Wilburn – UC Davis – 6020 – 280 – Garnered some attention last year as soph for consistency at OC and OG
DE – Jordan Eaton – South Dakota – 6050 – 255 – Solid soph year, should be a force off the edge this year
DE – Ross Brenneman – North Dakota – 6040 – 266 – Creates pressure but limited in space, had 5 sacks in ’10
DT – Erich Klemme – Cal Poly – 6020 – 270 – Had 4 sacks last year, limited athlete but fine motor
DT – Andrew Benjamin – UC Davis  – 6020 – 280 – Also has experience at DE, at his best on first two downs
OLB – Mike Goertz – North Dakota – 6020 – 234 – Depsite making only 1 start compiled 54 tackles, 5.5 TFL, & 2.5 Sacks
OLB – Dan Hendrickson – North Dakota – 6000 – 230 – Edge rusher lacks athleticism but maximizes abilities and great pursuit
ILB – Adam Broders – South Dakota – 6030 – 218 – All over the field for the Coyotes, he flows well to the play but is very thin
CB – Kenny Watkins – North Dakota – 5011 – 180 – Stats don’t show impact he has on his side of field
CB – Jon Perkins – UC Davis  – 5011 – 177 – 3 INT and 7 PD as a true freshman, lots of room to grow
S – Erron Varner – Southern Utah – 5010 – 188 – Combined with Turner they make one of the top S tandems in the GWC
S – Dominique Hawkins – North Dakota – 6000 – 190 – Solid athlete is one of the best at getting hands on the ball
K – Kevin Robb – South Dakota – 5090 – 185 – Only a soph, Robb is one of the best kickers in FCS
P – Colton Schmidt – UC Davis – 5011 – 210 – Not a huge leg but shows solid accuracy, did have a 78 yard punt last yr       

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Pioneer Conference

First Team
Pos.  Player  Team
QB – Josh McGregor – Jacksonville
RB – JJ Laster – Jacksonville
RB – Rashaun Brown – Campbell
WR – Josh Philpart – Jacksonville
WR – Lanny Funsten – Davidson
WR – Zach Watkins – Butler
OT – Chad Cypher – Jacksonville
OT – Evan Lawrence – Drake
OG – Stephen Flynn – Drake
OG – Kevin Halverson – Jacksonville
OC – Christian Fetters – San Diego
DE – Mario Kurn – San Diego
DE – Jerome Raymond – Morehead State
DT – Dustin Geyer – San Diego
DT – Ellis Martin – Davidson
LB – Tyler Moorehead – Drake
LB – Jordan Ridley – Butler
LB – Tony Bachman – Morehead State
CB – Al-Rilwan Adeyemi – San Diego
CB – Colby Walden – Jacksonville
S – Matt Pfleger – Dayton
S – Peter Kidwell – Davidson
K – David Lang – Butler
P – Greg Wood – Valparaiso

Second Team
QB – Mason Mills – San Diego
RB – Taylor Harris – Dayton
RB – Carl Smith – Campbell
WR – Jordan Koopman – Butler
WR – Drew Blackmon – Drake
WR – Michael Rios – Marist
OL – Phede Celestin – Drake
OL – Ethan Clark – Davidson
OL – Ian Osking – Jacksonville
OL – Ferdinand Velez – Valparaiso
OL – Branden Burt – Campbell
DE – Rolando Fines – Jacksonville
DE – Grant Hunter – Butler
DT – John Sawhill – Drake
DT – Morgan Popham – Davidson
LB – Cody Gokan – Valparaiso
LB – Issac Sine – Marist
LB – John Behm – Davidson
CB – Kameron Scott – Morehead State
CB – Fred Obi – San Diego
S – Jordan Dewhirst – Jacksonville
S – Sean Graves – Valparaiso
K – Rainer Duzan – Morehead State
P – Ted Moore – Campbell